currawong | bird | Britannica.com Currawong Alternative Titles: crow-shrike, piping-crow, Strepera Similar Topics songshrike Currawong, also called piping-crow, or crow-shrike, any of several songbirds of the Australian family Cracticidae (order Passeriformes). They are large, up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) long, with black, gray, or black-and-white plumage and yellow eyes. All have resounding, metallic voices. Found in woodlands and occasionally flocking into suburban areas, currawongs live on fruit, insects, small animals, and other birds’ eggs and young: they may be a nuisance in orchards and hen yards. The pied currawong, or chillawong (Strepera graculina) makes rolling sounds; the gray currawong (S. versicolor), also called squeaker, or rainbird, makes clanking noises. Pied currawong (Strepera graculina) John R. Brownlie—Bruce Coleman Ltd. Learn More in these related articles: Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback.

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Please try again later. Close Date Published: July 20, 1998 URL: Access Date: January 13, 2017 Share Australian Animals - Tourism Australia Load More Mammals Australia’s mammalian wildlife is unique from the rest of the world. The dingo, or wild dog, is our largest carnivorous mammal, while the numbat, quoll and Tasmanian devil are each generally the size of an average house cat. Dingoes can be found all around Australia, except for Tasmania, and the best places to spot them include Queensland’s Fraser Island , the Kimberley in Western Australia and across the deserts of the Northern Territory and South Australia. Numbats are found only in Western Australia and the Tasmanian devil can only be seen in wildlife parks or in the Tasmanian wilderness. Endangered quolls are difficult to spot in the wild, but inhabit the wet forests of southeastern Australia and Tasmania, and a small area of northern Queensland. The bilby can be seen in Francois Peron National Park in Western Australia. Marsupials Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and wombats.

Our 55 different native species of kangaroos and wallabies vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram (1 pound) to 90 (198.4 pounds) kilograms. Come face to face with kangaroos and wallabies in Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks in the Australian Alps , Pebbly Beach in New South Wales and Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park . Despite popular belief, our native koala is not a bear. Spot koalas at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra, Port Stephens in New South Wales and the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Queensland. The wombat is another creature you’ll find here – a stout, burrowing animal that can weigh up to 36 kilograms (79.4 pounds). Some of the best places to see them in the wild are the Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales, Wilsons Promontory in Victoria and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania. Monotremes Another animal group found only in Australia is the monotremes, or egg-laying mammals.

The most distinctive is the platypus, a river-dwelling animal with a bill like a duck, a furry waterproof body and webbed feet. Platypuses live in burrows, which they dig into the banks of rivers. They are difficult to spot, but your best chance to see them is in small streams and calm rivers along the east coast, such as the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Canberra, Lake Elizabeth in Victoria’s Great Otway National Park and in northern New South Wales and Queensland. The echidna, otherwise known as the spiny anteater, is another of Australia’s monotremes. It has a prickly coat like a hedgehog or porcupine – so don’t try to pick one up! Kangaroo Island is one of the best places to spot them in the wild. Birds We have more than 800 species of birds in Australia, and about half cannot be found anywhere else. They range from tiny honeyeaters to the large, flightless emu, which stands nearly two metres (6.6 feet) tall.

See cassowaries in our tropical rainforest, kookaburras in our open woodlands and emus in sclerophyll forests and savanna woodlands. Get up close to penguins on Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Philip Island in Victoria , or hear the winter call of the lyrebirds in Wollumbin National Park and in the Gondwana Rainforests in southeast Queensland. There are 55 species of parrots in Australia, including a spectacular variety of cockatoos, rosellas, lorikeets, cockatiels, parakeets and budgerigars, which are seen in rural and urban areas. Reptiles Australia has more venomous snakes than any other continent, 21 of the world’s 25 deadliest in fact. But not all are poisonous, and we also have some stunning pythons and tree snakes. We are famous for our crocodiles, and host two different species, the freshwater crocodile, which is found nowhere else in the world, and the estuarine crocodile (also known as the saltwater crocodile). The Kimberley, Kakadu National Park and Cape York Peninsula are excellent places to see crocodiles in their natural habitat.

Of the seven species of marine turtles in the world, six can be found here including the flatback turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, leatherback turtle, loggerhead turtle and olive ridley turtle. The best spots to see turtles are Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia and Eco Beach in Broome . We also have an amazing array of lizards, ‘dragons’ and goannas (monitor lizards), such as the spectacular frilled-neck lizard and bearded dragon. Thorny devils can be found in Western Australia’s desert habitats, Shark Bay, Carnarvon and Exmouth. Marine animals Our marine environments support around 4,000 of the world’s 22,000 types of fish, as well as 30 of the world’s 58 seagrass species. We also have the world’s largest coral reef system, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef , where there are countless species of colourful fish, including the beautiful clownfish seen in Finding Dory. We also have around 1,700 different species of coral.

Larger marine species include the humpback, southern right and orca whales, the dugong (or manatee), several dolphin species and a number of different sharks. Catch a glimpse of the whales during their migration along the east coast from May to November, or swim with gentle whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Kangaroo Island is one of the best places to see beautiful Australian fur seals in the wild. More On Australian Animals Birds of Australia Blog Birds of Australia Australia - land of parrots and honeyeaters, home to bowerbirds, megapodes and birds of paradise, and the possible birthplace of all the world's songbirds . Lyrebirds, emus and apostle birds are uniquely Australian Most of the world's cockatoos are Australian, and no continent other than South America has more parrots. Most of our songbirds belong to families not found on other continents - despite inappropriate names such as 'robin', 'magpie' and 'wren' being bestowed upon them by homesick settlers in the early days of white colonisation.

There are so many species in Australia we cannot do justice to them here, but here is a sample, with links to further information General information on Australian birds Links to books and further information What is a bird? From ducks to eagles, from emus to finches, from frogmouths to penguins, birds comprise a marvellous assortment of creatures, but they all have some features in common.

A bird is a vertebrate animal that shares the following features with other vertebrates: all vertebrates - nerve chord extending from the brain down the back, surrounded by segmented bone or cartilage (includes, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), and relatively large brain compared to other animal groups similar to most vertebrates other than fish in having four limbs - but different from most in walking on the hind limbs, the forelimbs modified into wings similar to most fish, amphibians and reptiles in laying eggs - although some fish and some reptiles do not do so, ALL species of birds reproduce by eggs similar to mammals, reptiles and adult amphibians in breathing with lungs similar to mammals in their ability to regulate body temperature (including brain temperature, which is a major reason birds and mammals tend to be the most 'intelligent' of animals - however 'intelligence' is defined) They differ from all other animals in having feathers. All walk on hind legs(although some, like swifts, do very little walking) No present day birds have teeth, but some prehistoric birds such as Archaeopteryx did back to top of page Birds that landscape our countryside Many birds eat native fruits.

Some crunch and digest the seeds, others just digest the soft parts of the fruit and either cough/spit out the seed or pass it through their intestines unharmed. These birds can have a profound effect on what grows where. Some of the main dispersers in the rainforests are fruitdoves , bowerbirds , catbirds, lewin's honeyeaters , pied currawongs and cassowaries , also figbirds, which tend to visit edges of rainforests rather than penetrate deeply into them. Many others disperse seeds at least occasionally. In more open habitats, emus, mistletoebirds, crows and many honeyeaters disperse seeds, with many other species (cuckoos, cuckooshrikes, orioles, butcherbirds, others) doing so at least occasionally. The yellow and red pigments of the fruit is often transferred to the feathers of the bird that eats it. Before a flowering plant (whether it's a tree, shrub, vine or herb) sets seeds, its flower must be pollinated. Many are pollinated by wind or by insects, but nectar-feeding birds such as honeyeaters and some parrots alps play an important roles.

Bird-pollinated flowers tend to be fairly robust, to withstand vigorous feeding activities, and are often red, pink or creamy-white, with plenty of nectar and easily-dislodged pollen. Birds of bright colours or 'odd' appearance Bright colours: Fairy-wrens - beautiful little birds found only in Australia and New Guinea (mostly Australia) - blue, lilac, red and other colours, not related to wrens. Some are common in bushland (open forest and woodland) areas where understorey shrubs have been retained. Chats - orange, yellow and crimson chats of the outback are brilliant Pittas - bright-coloured birds of the rainforest floor Parrots - rosellas, lorikeets, others - Fruitdoves - pinks, greens, yellows, maroon, purple and other colours adorn these beautiful birds, but they can still be very hard to spot amongst the foliage in a rainforest. Rainbow bee-eaters - all the colours of the rainbow, plus two long black tail feathers that stream behind as they fly Crested birds: Crested bellbird Other unusual appearance: Frogmouths - these have very wide gapes and are camouflaged to like like part of the branch they are sitting on.

Lyrebirds - as well as being the world's most accomplished mimics, the males have beautifully decorated, long tails, which they bring forward and shimmer like a small fountain during the courtship dance Bush stone-curlew - the large yellow eye is its most striking feature, and it is quite a large bird, though often un-noticed because of its habit of sitting or standing very still amongst low vegetation Avocets, spoonbills and ibises - like their relatives elsewhere, the long bill of the avocet curves upwards at its end, the spoonbill's bill splays out into a spoon shape, and the ibis has a long downwardly-curved bill. Emus and cassowaries - both are large flightless birds, and the cassowary also has a large casque on its head Channel-billed cuckoo - a large grey cuckoo with an oversize bill Pheasant coucal - a pheasant-like close relative of the cuckoos, which is often reluctant to fly and instead runs with head and long tail close to the ground, looking rather reptilian.

Jacana - like the jacanas of other continents, our comb-crested jacana has extraordinarily long toes to enable it to walk on waterlily leaves Black swans - no longer surprising, but as in "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable ", "In Europe all anyone had ever seen were white swans; indeed, "all swans are white" had long been used as the standard example of a scientific truth. So what was the chance of seeing a black one? Impossible to calculate, or at least they were until 1697, when explorers found Cygnus atratus in Australia". back to top of page Threatened species Eastern bristebird. There was a very successful captive breeding program happening at the David Fleay WIldlife Park, starting from the only two they could find after extensive searching - a brother and sister pair. Unfortunately this breeding program has now been abandoned. Coxen's figparrot. This small parrot used to depend on the abundance of fruiting figs in lowland rainforests during the winter months.

Now most of the lowland rainforest has been cleared, and the Coxen's figparrot (a subspecies of the double-eyed parrot) is now rarely seen and probably only a few dozen individuals remain, if that. Cassowary . In patches of rainforest remnants that have lost the cassowary, there is a severe reduction in seed dispersal of plants with large fruits, although fruitbats, rodents or the musky rat kangaroo may carry some of them a short distance . back to top of page The flightless ones - emus and cassowaries The rattites are a group of large flightless birds now found only in the southern hemisphere, including the rhea of South America, ostrich of Africa, emu of Australia and cassowaries of Australia and New Guinea. Emu Australia's largest bird. There used to be two other species on southern islands, but they were driven to extinction by hunting. Cassowary A very important seed disperser in northern rainforests, as there are many large fruits impossible for anything else to swallow.

Cockatoos Cockatoos are essentially parrots with crests (and gall bladders) Most of the world's cockatoos are Australian, with a few species in New Guinea and southeast Asian islands. They all have crests, ranging from the small crests of cockateils, galahs and corellas to the spectacular ones of major mitchells and palm cockatoos. Wikipedia has a good cockatoo page Rosellas Rosellas are a purely Australian group of colourful parrots with long tails and a pattern of little black scallops on their backs. Lorikeets These bright green or multi-coloured little parrots feed mostly on nectar and pollen Budgerigars One of the world's most popular pet birds, they still live and breed in in large flocks in Australia's outback Other parrots There are many pother parrots in Australia, from the small and critically-endangered Coxen's figparrot to the large and colurful king parrots.

back to top of page Cuckoos - none say 'cuckoo' but they do lay eggs in other birds' nest (except one) The exception to the rule of laying eggs in other birds' nests is not actually a cuckoo, it is a coucal, but very closely related. There are several coucal species in Southeast Asia, and we have one, the pheasant coucal, so-called because its shape resemble a pheasant. It also looks rather reptilian as it runs along, head and long tail close to the ground, before taking off in a clumsy flight. None of our cuckoos say anything remotely resembling "cuckoo." One gives a loud prolonged squawk (channel-billed cuckoo), one a kind of 'cooee' call (koel), one a downwards trill (fantailed cuckoo), another a series of rather frantic calls as though the bird is heading for a nervous breakdown (brush cuckoo), and others give various kinds of whistling calls. The only bird that actually sounds like a European cuckoo is an owl , the boobook owl. Different sizes of cuckoo naturally choose nests of different sized birds to lay their eggs in.

The big channel-billed cuckoo for instance lays its eggs in the nests of crows and similar-sized birds, while small cuckoos lay in the nests of small birds: the young cuckoo may still be quite a lot larger than the nestlings of the host bird. back to top of page Megapodes - males build large mounds in which the eggs are incubated This is a family of large-footed birds from Australia to Southeast Asia. The three Australian species, as do most megapodes, hatch their eggs by the heat of decaying vegetation (there is at least one species in Asia which instead uses the heat of active volcanoes). Probably the best-known megapode in Australia is the brush turkey, easily seen in rainforest areas and sometimes entering the suburbs of Brisbane (not always welcomed by home-owners, who may for instance find all the pine chips from their garden scratched into a mound against their garage door) Find information here on the malleefowl , of dry open country in southern Australia (the world's only megapode to NOT live in dense forest) The smallest species in Australia, the orange-footed scrubfowl, builds an impressive mound up to several metres in diameter.

You can see a list of the world's megapodes , with links to photos, videos and calls, here. See also a good book on the megapodes by Darryl Jones , who studied the brush turkeys some years ago for his PhD, and two co-authors. back to top of page Pigeons - bright-coloured fruit-eaters, many seed-eaters Fruitdoves and topknot pigeons (not to be confused with crested pigeons) eat fruit, digesting the softer parts and either regurgitating the seeds or passing them through their intestines before discarding them, and thus are important seed dispersers for many rainforest trees. They live in coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia (south as far as northern New South Wales) and also in New Guinea and Southeast Asia. style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Most pigeons, like pigeons the world over, digest the seeds they swallow. One of the best--known is the crested pigeon, fund in most open habitats over much of Australia.

Pictured here are the wonga pigeon (left) and the wompoo fruitdove (right) Birds of prey - day and night Diurnal raptors (eagles, hawks, falcons etc.) There are 24 species in Australia Eagles include the wedge-tailed eagle (largest species), white-bellied sea-eagle and little eagle Kites include the brahminy (beautiful white and red-brown plumage, hunts fish along coasts), whistling (big enough and similar enough wing pattern to be mistaken for little eagle, but with distinctive call), black (very common in outback), black-winged (often seen hovering), letter-winged (often hunts at night, although technically one of the diurnal raptors), Others include black-breasted buzzard (which is not actually a buzzard), osprey (same species as in northern hemisphere), several goshawks, two harriers, a sparrowhawk, a baza, several falcons (including the Peregrine falcon found also in other continents) and a kestrel (essentially a small falcon, but kestrels hover more than other falcons).

Owls There are 10 species in Australia Boobook - an owl whose call is often mistaken for something else. The boobook owl gives the ' mopoke' call, one of the most familiar sounds of the Australian bush at night (and the closest sound to a European cuckoo call that you will hear in Australia). Many people are convinced it is the tawny frogmouth, but this is incorrect. The boobook is often heard but not seen, while the frogmouth is often seen and not heard, in the same patch of forest. Others in the past have insisted the 'mopoke' call comes from the echidna, the goanna, or even the carpet snake, presumably because they have gone outside to investigate the source of the call, found one of these creatures and not seen the mottled brown owl sitting quietly on a branch close to the trunk of a tree. Powerful owl - our largest owl, with a wingspan of about 1.3metres, and feeds mainly on arboreal mammals and roosting birds.

Barking owl - it usually sounds like a small dog barking, but every now and then gives a blood-curdling scream which has earned it the nickname of 'mad woman owl.' I'm told that if you hear in in the middle of the night while camping it makes all the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. There are various other owls, including the barn owl (Tyto alba) which is found throughout Australia, and on all continents except Antarctica, and some rarer relatives, such as two species of sooty owl (their calls at night sound a bit like a bomb falling but never landing). Nightjars and frogmouths Frogmouths are sometimes mistaken for owls. They do hunt at night, as do other nightjars, but by a different method (sitting and waiting, then pouncing on prey, which they swallow whole with their enormously-wide bills, instead of tearing it apart the way owls do, and their feet are considerably weaker than those of owls for this reason). Their nearest relatives apart from the nightjars (Australia has several species, including the cute little owlet nightjars that look like something created by Disney) are the oilbirds and potoos of South America.

Tawny frogmouths (the common species, found throughout most of Australia) definitely do NOT, EVER make a ' mopoke ' call, despite Banjo Patterson's poem and the adamant protests of many who still believe they do. They instead makes a repetitive call - 'oom-oom-oom' which in its most rapid form sounds like some kind of machinery starting up, plus a few low 'growling' noises. During the day, frogmouths sit on a branch at an angle, and are perfectly camouflaged to blend in and look like a short projection of broken branch. It is easy to walk right past one without noticing it. back to top of page Kookaburras and other kingfishers If a name for the family was to be selected in Australia, they would probably nit have been called kingfishers, as only a few of our species actually fish, most catch small lizards, large insects and the like. The largest members of the family - the kookaburras, also catch snakes. The best-known species is the laughing kookaburra, with its rollicking laughter.

The other is the blue-winged kookaburra of the northern half of Australia, which has a strange call sounding like it's trying to laugh and not quite getting it right. Both species have blue on their wings, but the blue-winged kookaburra has the largest patch. The beautiful little azure kingfisher, with bright blue above and bright red on the breast, does feed on fish, and sometimes follows the platypus in the hope that it will disturb fish that it can then more readily detect and catch. back to top of page Songbirds - evidence for an Australian ancestry The oldest known songbird (passerine - order Passeriformes) fossils are from Murgon, in Queensland Australia, and the primitive features in some of our birds (e.g. lyrebirds and scrub birds, as well as New Zealand fern wrens) suggest an Australian origin for this, the largest order of birds. Visit this site for a good summary of current thinking on the evolution of songbirds Lyrebirds - world's best mimics (and great dancers too) The lyrebirds were until recently placed in the suboscines, but DNA research suggests otherwise Strange that a suboscine would be such an accomplished songster.

There are only two species in the world, both confined to Australia - the superb lyrebird of eastern forests (to as far north as southern Queensland) and the Albert's lyrebird (subtropical forests of Qld/NSW border regions) back to top of page Scrub birds Small, brown secretive birds of dense vegetation (therefore not easy to see, and also not at all common, but they have penetrating calls). A family confined to Australia, and with primitive characteristics, they appear to be most closely related to lyrebirds, and despite not having the size or elaborate tail feathers, the males also court the females with song, dance and mimicry. Honeyeaters - the largest songbird family in Australia, many and varied species You can hardly go walking anywhere in Australian forests, woodlands or heathands without seeing or hearing some kind of honeyeater. They do not eat only nectar - all eat insects as well for protein, and some also eat fruits. Those that include the larger proportions of nectar in their diets tend to have longer bills than those with a higher proportion of insects in their diets.

Many are important pollinators of plants, especially in the Myrtaceae (eucalypts, bottlebrushes), Proteaceae (banksias, grevilleas) and Epacridaceae (heathy shrubs) families. Many also eat small fruits and can be important seed dispersers. Many are nomadic, some make fairly regular migrations, some are residential throughout the year. Some prefer to forage in the canopy, others close to ground level or even on the ground. They are a primarily Australian and New Guinea family of songbirds (Meliphagidae, which means honey-eating), but extending out into the extreme southeast of Indonesia and some southwest Pacific Islands. [They are NOT related to hummingbirds, honey-creepers, sugarbirds or sunbirds, although bearing some resemblance in appearance and behaviour. Australia has one species of sunbird in the tropical north, none of the other groups just mentioned)] This page gives a list of all honeyeaters , with links to other facts, photos and videos back to top of page Australian 'magpies' and their relatives Early settlers in Australia saw big black and white songbirds, called them magpies and the name stuck.

They are a totally different bird from the magpies of the Northern Hemisphere, belonging to a totally different family, but it looks as though the name 'Australian magpie' is here to stay. Their early morning warbling is familiar to almost everyone who has spent any time in Australia. Their habit of diving on passers-by in spring is not so endearing, but it is only a few individuals that become this aggressive when defending their nests, and it is almost always in cities and towns. They are found only in Australia and New Guinea Currawongs (Australia only) and butcherbirds (Australia and New Guinea) are closely related to Australian magpies. The pied currawong eats a lot of fruit as well as insects and small invertebrates, and its habit of frequenting both rainforests and open country makes it a potentially important seed disperser in forest restoration areas. It unfortunately also eats nestlings of smaller birds, which is part of natural ecological processes, but where they have been artificially fed and increased their populations this can be a real threat to other birds. Butcherbirds derive their name from their habit of hanging their prey from forked twigs (not impaling them a a Northern Hemisphere shrike does).

There have been some interesting studies and speculations on the beautiful and complex calls of the pied butcherbird . The above birds used to have a family of their own, but DNA analysis has shown them to be so closely related to the woodswallows (which are not swallows - just look and act a bit like them) that they are now all included in the same family (Artamidae). The woodswallows occupy some of Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific islands as well as Australia and New Guinea. back to top of page The magpielark and monarchs - who would think they are related? The magpielark is found throughout Australia in just about every kind of habitat except dense forest and the driest deserts. It builds a mud nest and does much of its foraging on the ground. Monarch flycatchers are considerably smaller than magpielarks, forage mainly amongst the foliage of trees, and in Australia at least are generally forest-dwellers, including dense rainforests, and do not build mud nests. They are considerably smaller than magpielarks, and at first sight bear little resemblance to them.

The magpielark was one lumped in with the apostlebird and white-winged chough in Australian bird books because all build mud nests, but it was soon apparent there was little other similarity, and the magpielarks were given their own family, the Grallidae. More recently, DNA testing has shown their closest relatives are the monarch flycatchers (Monarchidae). There are two species of magpie lark - one in Australia (formerly called mudlark, also variously known as 'peewee', 'Murray magpie" and various other colloquial names) and one in New Guinea. Monarch flycatchers are found from Africa (including the paradise flycatchers) through Asia to Australia and some Pacific islands. Apostlebirds and choughs - endemic mud nest builders This is a small family - only two species - both found only in Australia They are unusual amongst songbirds in building mud nests.

Both tend to move around in small flocks (apostlebirds often about a dozen - hence the name, choughs about half that) along the ground or low in trees and shrubs in the open woodlands of rural and outback Australia The white-winged chough is not an actual chough (which are in the crow family) - just another example of Australian birds being called after something they reminded someone of. back to top of page Fairy wrens - small flashes of colour in the bush Not related to actual wrens, this is a group of dainty and colourful small birds with long, upright tails. Anywhere in Australia there will be one or more species, as long as the low vegetation they depend on remains. In common with a number of other Australian birds, individuals other than the parents help feed young in the nest. Females do an extraordinary 'rodent-run' to draw predators away from the nest, with head and tail down and feathers fluffed out to look like a small fluffy mammal. back to top of page Shrike-thrushes and whistlers - songsters bright and drab Shrike-thrushes are not thrushes but share a family with the whistlers.

The calls of this family are amongst the most pleasing of forest bidcalls in Australia, and while some are dull browns and greys, others - like the golden whistler - look as pretty as they sound. They are primarily insect-eaters. back to top of page The 'robins' - red-breasted, yellow-breasted and plain (none are actually robins) The early settlers, probably homesick for the English countryside, saw red-breasted birds and called them robins. These birds are not in the thrush family (as true robins are) but belong instead to a family (Petroicidae) ranging from India to New Zealand.There are a number with pink or red breasts (pink robin, rose robin, flame robin, scarlet robin, red-capped robin), others with yellow breasts (eastern yellow robin, western yellow robin, pale yellow robin) and others with no bright colours. They are primarily insect-eaters. Most are forest or woodland dwellers, but scrub-robins live in drier, more open habitats of the inland.

back to top of page Bowerbirds - incredible artists of the bird world I have watched a satin bowerbird building tis bower - putting a twig in place then standing back surveying it as a human artist might, deciding it didn't look quite right, picking it up again and repositioning it until it was satisfied. The males of all bowerbirds build some kind of display ranging from leaves on the ground to elaborately-decorated avenues of twigs or other complex structures. It takes about 6 or 7 years before a young male starts to build bowers, and can take another 1 or 2 before he can do it well enough to start attracting females. It seems females may vary in what attracts them. After mating, the female heads off to build a nest and raise chicks on her own while the male continues his attempts to attract other females.

back to top of page Birds of Paradise - most are in New Guinea, but Australia has four species Most birds of this family live in New Guinea, but three species live in the far northern tropical rainforests (Victoria's riflebird, magnificent riflebird and manucode) and one species (the paradise riflebird), the only non-tropical member of the family, inhabits subtropical rainforests of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. The Australian species do not have the brilliant colours and long tail feathers the family is best known for, but the males are shining black with iridescent purples, blues and greens. Like their relatives, they display during courtship - the manucode spreading its wings and trumpeting, and the riflebirds lifting their wings, throwing back their heads and rocking side-to-side. style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"> back to top of page And the rest .... Buttonquails - small, three-toed, seed-eating birds that are not quails, although they look a bit like them, found from Africa and southern Europe through to Australia.

Some turn the tables on a more usual male habit, courting a male then leaving him to look after the eggs and chicks while she seeks her next partner. Pittas - bright -coloured birch of the rainforest floor - use stones for cracking snail shells, found from Africa to Australia Pardalotes - pretty little birds usually high in the treetops, more often heard than seen, but often come down in spring to tunnel nests into creekbanks ...many others! Links to books and further information Some very useful field guides to birds of Australia: Morcomb, M. 2002. The Michael Morcomb Field Guide to Australian Birds Morcomb, M. 1988. The Great Australian Bird Finder: Where & How to Find Australian Birds. Pizzey, G. and Knight, F. (1997). Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney Reader’s Digest (1997). Encyclopaedia of Australian Wildlife.

Reader’s Digest, Sydney (it can’t include all species the way the more specialized books do, but does give a good coverage of mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, freshwater and marine fish, and some invertebrates) Reader’s Digest (1990). Reader’s Digest Book of the Great Barrier Reef. Reader’s Digest Services, Sydney. Simpson, K, and Day, N. (1996), Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Viking Publishers, Ringwood Slater, P. , Slater, P. and Slater, R. (1989). The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds. Landsdowne Publishers, The Rocks, Sydney Websites with a wealth of information on Australian birds: Bird - Australian Currawongs,Magpies,Butcherbirds Grey Butcher Bird (Cracticus torquatus) The Grey Butcher Bird has a black head and face. The back and wings are grey, with large areas of white and the under parts are white. The bill is large, with a small hook at the tip of the upper bill. Yung Grey Butcherbirds resemble adults, but...

Click to continue> Pied Butcher Bird (Cracticus nigrogularis) The Pied Butcher Bird is a black and white bird with clear flute-like song. The immatures are brown and white. They live in family groups. Click to continue> Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) The Australian Magpie is a common black and white bird. The neck, upper tail and shoulder are white in males, pale grey in females. In northern parts of Australia the back is black. In southern areas an Tasmania the back is white. The eye is brown. Click to continue> Pied Currawong | BIRDS in BACKYARDS BIRDS in BACKYARDS Pied Currawong Did you know? Pied Currawongs are known for their distinctive, loud and ringing calls which can be far-reaching throughout their territories. Calls The main call is a loud "currawong", which gives the bird its name. Other frequent sounds include deep croaks and a wolf whistle. What does it look like? Description: The Pied Currawong is a large, mostly black bird, with a bright yellow eye.

Small patches of white are confined to the under tail, the tips and bases of the tail feathers and a small patch towards the tip of each wing (visible in flight). The bill is large and black and the legs are dark grey-black. Both sexes are similar, although the female may sometimes be greyer on the underparts. Young Pied Currawongs are duller and browner than the adults. Similar species: Two other species of currawong are found in Australia. The Grey Currawong , Strepera versicolor, lives in Australia's south, while the Black Currawong , S. fuliginosa, is restricted to Tasmania. Both of these species differ from the Pied Currawong in lacking white on the rump. The Grey Currawong is variable across its range, grey in the east, blacker in Tasmania and browner in the west, with regional differences in the amounts of white in the wing. Another Australian species that is sometimes confused with the Pied Currawong is the Australian Magpie , Gymnorhina tibicen, although the two are quite different in plumage. The Magpie has a grey and black bill and a red-brown eye.

The Australian Magpie also has large areas of white on the body. Where does it live? Distribution: Pied Currawongs are found throughout eastern Australia, from northern Queensland to Victoria, but is absent from Tasmania. Habitat: The Pied Currawong prefers forests and woodlands, and has become well adapted to suburban areas. Throughout its range it is common and familiar. Seasonal movements: Outside the breeding season large flocks of Pied Currawongs form, but at most other times these birds are seen alone, in pairs or in family groups. In the north of their range they tend to stay in the same areas year round, while in the south, they may move from the higher areas to the lowlands, especially in the colder regions. What does it do? Feeding: Pied Currawongs feed on a variety of foods including small lizards, insects, caterpillars and berries. They also take a large number of small and young birds, especially around urban areas where suitable cover is scarce. Larger prey, up to the size of a young possum, is also taken, and birds will occasionally hunt as a group.

Prey may be stored in a 'larder' (hung on a hook or in a tree fork or crevice) and either eaten straight away or, in the case of larger prey, over a period of time. Breeding: The Pied Currawong's nest is a bowl of sticks, lined with grasses and other soft material. The material is gathered by both sexes, but the female builds the nest, which is placed in a high tree fork, up to 20 m above the ground. The female incubates the eggs, and the male feeds her. The male also supplies food to the female for the first week after the chicks hatch and she feeds the chicks. Living with us Pied Currawongs have adapted well to living in urban areas and their growing numbers have been implicated in the fall in numbers of the smaller bird species. References: Australia Zoo Animals and Wildlife OUR ANIMALSEXPLORE OUR AMAZING ANIMALS Want to know more about your favourite Amazing Animals? Check this out - we've got stacks of info to get you on your way to being an expert. With species and subspecies information, Australia Zoo animal profiles and stacks of interesting facts, you'll be feeling knowledgeable in no time.

Whether you are mad about mammals, think birds are brilliant or really really really like reptiles, this is your one-stop wildlife headquarters! ANIMAL ENCOUNTERSEXPERIENCE OUR ANIMALS It's time to throw out your old ideas about the ultimate zoo experience. No longer must you, the guest, sit on the sidelines while our animal keepers have all the fun! Care to relax on the grass while hand-feeding some hungry wombats, or strut your stuff with our devilishly handsome Tasmanian Devils? PLATINUM TOURSTAKE A GUIDED TOUR There has never been a day at the Zoo like an Australia Zoo Platinum Adventure. For the true wildlife enthusiast or the traveller who's seen it all before, a Platinum Adventure is the opportunity of a lifetime to enjoy a full day of extreme VIP treatment, exclusive behind-the-scenes animal encounters and the undivided attention of our animals and their expert handlers. WILDLIFE PHOTOSWHAT AN AWESOME SOUVENIR Fancy cuddling up to one of our furry, feathered or scaly friends?

You can have your photo taken by one of our professional photographers with a koala, snake, possum or baby alligator - or even have a 'magic photo' taken with Steve or Terri Irwin in our green screen studio. FEED THE ANIMALSGET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL From adorable baby animals in the Kids Zoo to tall and majestic giraffes, there are loads of opportunities to feed the animals at Australia Zoo. Be sure to check out the incredible Roo Heaven, a large, naturalistic home for our kangaroos, where you can hand-feed them until your heart's content! HARRIETA REPTILE LEGEND! Harriet the Giant Galapagos Land Tortoise was a friend to all at Australia Zoo, a cherished member of the Sunshine Coast community, a respected long-time Queenslander and a treasure of the international conservation world. Her remarkable history has been a point of fascination and extensive research for many years, and generations of Australians have known and loved this extraordinary old lady. Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast, Chidlow, Australia - Booking.com Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast Available Rooms Facilities House Rules See all verified reviews (14) ! This property isn’t taking reservations on our site right now.

But don’t worry, you can find tons of other nearby properties right here . Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast This rating is a reflection of how the property compares to the industry standard when it comes to price, facilities and services available. It's based on a self-evaluation by the property. Use this rating to help choose your stay! 1515 Stone Street, 6556 Chidlow, Australia – Great location - show map After booking, all of the property’s details, including telephone and address, are provided in your booking confirmation and your account. Lock in a great price for Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast – rated 9.4 by recent guests! Enter dates Wonderful 9.4 /10 Score from 14 reviews Cleanliness the fabulous bush setting, the home made bread for breakfast, the horses, comfy bed Happy, Australia Had a wonderful time,the owner friendly and helpful.Clean and comfortable ,would go back Cheryl, Australia Beautiful property with horses, lambs, sheep and rabbits to keep the kids entertained. The owner went above and beyond to make sure we were feeling comfortable and welcome. Great breakfast too! Tom, Indonesia Sue was such a wonderful host and made us feel so welcome.

Kids loved the interaction with the animals. Very family friendly. Sandy, Australia Waking up to freshly baked bread in the kitchen was a massive highlight for me. Watching the kids enjoy the animals in the morning was delightful. The place was perfectly clean, couldn't fault it. Amy, Australia Kids had ample opportunity to get to know the animals at Currawong Farm. We had a delicious dinner made for us. The communal living space has a lovely homey feel, and thankfully we had it to ourselves. Stephanie, Australia Very comfortable bed and a personal touch from the host, Sue Michael, Australia very friendly owner willing to please. property was very clean. lovely freshly baked bread each morning Darren, Australia A true farm stay. The horses an the rides were a highlight Sue our host was at tentative and caring - nothing seemed too much trouble for her The accomodation is great however we had the area to ourselves. I feel any more sharing the communal area would have given us an entirely different holiday. It would have been too squashed and wired with strangers. So I'm pleased the other bedroom wasn't hire out. Cathy, Australia The hostess was lovely and treated our children with much kindness.

Our kids fed baby lambs and horses, petted bunnies, collected chicken eggs and played with the dog every day. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves and loved being outside in the yard and inside to play with all the toys. Our hostess also cooked a fabulous meal for us, which was delicious, generously portioned and true to the menu. Every morning, we were given a loaf of freshly baked homemade bread, delicious jams, cereal, tea and coffee. We highly recommend the place to families with little kids who are looking for a farmstay experience that's not too far outside central Perth. Your kids will have an unforgettable time staying at Currawong! Anonymous, United States of America Free WiFi Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast offers accommodation in Chidlow. A flat-screen TV with satellite channels, as well as a computer are featured. Rooms come with a private bathroom. You will find a shared lounge and gift shop at the property. Free use of bicycles is available at this bed and breakfast and the area is popular for horse riding. Perth is 25.5 miles from Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast, while Joondalup is 31.1 miles from the property.

The nearest airport is Perth Airport, 19.3 miles from the property. We speak your language! Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast has been welcoming Booking.com guests since Oct 4, 2015 Bed and breakfast: 4 rooms Guests Love It Because... 낍 Top Location: Highly rated by recent guests (8.9) Special breakfast options: 끸 Free Private Parking Available On Site Reserve Be one of the first to add No credit card needed! Lock in a great price for your upcoming stay Get instant confirmation with FREE cancellation on most rooms! Check-in Date We Price Match When would you like to stay at Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast? Sorry, we can only search for stays of up to 30 days. You can always contact Customer Service to request a longer stay once you’ve chosen your hotel. Your check-in date is invalid. Your departure date is invalid. Check-in Date Children An Inside Look at Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast We are a 5 acre hobby farm, set in the idyllic Perth Hills.

You can pet and groom our stunningly beautiful Haflinger horses, bottle-feed our lambs, feed chickens and collect eggs or just chill out on our shady veranda and watch the many birds fly by. Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast takes special requests – add in the next step! 5 Reasons to Choose Currawong Farm Bed & Breakfast Low rates What would you like to know? I already have a booking with this property Thank you for your time Your feedback will help us improve this feature for all of our customers Missing some facilities information? Yes / No Brilliant! This property only accepts cash payments. Looking for something else? Read more Booking.com Guest Review Guidelines To keep the rating score and review content relevant for your upcoming trip, we archive reviews older than 24 months. Only a customer who has booked through Booking.com and stayed at the property in question can write a review. This allows us to verify that our reviews come from real guests like you. Who better to tell others about the free breakfast, friendly staff, or their comfortable room than someone who’s stayed at the property? We want you to share your story, with both the good and the not-so-good. All we ask is that you follow a few simple guidelines.

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Contributions should be appropriate for a global audience. Please avoid using profanity or attempts to approximate profanity with creative spelling, in any language. Comments and media that include hate speech, discriminatory remarks, threats, sexually explicit remarks, violence, or the promotion of illegal activity are not permitted. All content should be genuine and unique to the guest. Reviews are most valuable when they are original and unbiased. Your contribution should be yours. Booking.com property partners should not post on behalf of guests or offer incentives in exchange for reviews. Attempts to bring down the rating of a competitor by submitting a negative review will not be tolerated. Respect the privacy of others. Booking.com will make an effort to obscure email addresses, telephone numbers, website addresses, social media accounts, and other similar details. The opinions expressed in contributions are those of Booking.com customers and properties, and not of Booking.com. Booking.com does not accept responsibility or liability for any reviews or responses. Booking.com is a distributor (without any obligation to verify) and not a publisher of these comments and responses. Review Score Grey Currawong | BIRDS in BACKYARDS BIRDS in BACKYARDS Grey Currawong Did you know?

The Grey Currawong is so diverse in appearance that its six subspecies were originally thought of as separate species. Calls What does it look like? Description: Similar to other currawongs in that it is a mainly dark bird with some white markings and a yellow eye, the Grey Currawong is however a highly variable species, with six distinct subspecies throughout its range. All subspecies have a white-tipped tail. These include: the nominate ('originally named') race, versicolor, which is variably grey to grey-brown, with a white tail-tip, undertail and white across wings; the 'Clinking Currawong', race arguta, is a large, very dark form; the 'Black-winged Currawong', race melanoptera, is grey-black without any white on wings, but retains white undertail and tail tip; the 'Brown Currawong', race intermedia, is overall darker grey-brown than the nominate; race plumbea is darker and replaces the nominate race in the western parts of its range; race halmaturina is dark, with no white in wings and a narrow white tail band.

Similar species: In the west of its range, the Grey Currawong is the only currawong species to be found. In the east, it can be distinguished from the Pied Currawong , S. graculina, by its less robust and less hooked bill, its generally greyer rather than black plumage, and its higher pitched, ringing or 'clinking' call. In Tasmania, the 'Black-winged' subspecies can be distinguished from the Black Currawong , S. fuliginosa, by having white in its wings and a less massive beak. It can be distinguished from the similarly sized White-winged Chough , which has a longer tail with no white, a more slender down-curved beak and a red eye. Where does it live? Distribution: The six distinct subspecies of the Grey Currawong have ranges from far south-western to south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania.

The 'Clinking Currawong', race arguta, is confined to Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands; the 'Black-winged Currawong', race melanoptera, is found in the mallee districts around the Victorian/South Australian border; the 'Brown Currawong', race intermedia, is found on the Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas, South Australia; the race plumbea replaces the nominate in the north-west of South Australia, the south-west of Northern Territory and the southern half of Western Australia; the race halmaturina is confined to Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Habitat: The Grey Currawong inhabits a wide range of habitats from the coast to the semi-desert, including forests, woodlands, mallee, coastal and other heaths. Also found in remnant vegetation on roadsides and farms, in orchards, and in suburban areas. Seasonal movements: Tends to be more sedentary than the Pied Currawong. Some altitudinal migration, moving to lower areas in winter. What does it do?

Feeding: The Grey Currawong is an omnivore, eating small animals such as birds, rodents, frogs as well as eggs, insects, seeds, fruits and carrion (dead animals). They forage both on the ground and in trees, often on tree trunks using their bills as a probe for insects. Breeding: The Grey Currawong builds a large shallow bowl-shaped nest of sticks in the outer canopy of a tree, usually about 5 m to 15 m above the ground. The nest is lined with dry grasses. The female incubates alone but both sexes feed the young. References:

Question: What type of creature is the Australian currawong?
Answer: Bird